Memories
by Aria Breuer
Summary: On the day of Elijah Molvaro and Ronnie Baggins' graduation, Elijah and Ronnie take their descendant, Frodo Baggins, to Ronnie's castle. It is there that they, along with Maranguan, search for Parker Dooley. Once they find Parker, Maranguan hopes to restore Frodo's memories. But is danger closer than they think? Sequel to 'Shapeshifter'. Features zombies.
1. The Journey Back

**Disclaimers:** I do not own _The Lord of the Rings_, _The Chronicles of Narnia_, _The Shannara Series _and "The Shannara Chronicles", "Star Wars", _Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency_, _The Unicorn Chronicles_, _Ella Enchanted_, _The Snow Queen_, "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms", and "Moana". They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Brooks, George Lucas, Disney, Douglas Abrams, Bruce Coville, Gail Carson Levine, and Hans Christian Andersen. All other canon material belongs to their respected owners. All original material belongs to me, the authoress of this fanfiction story.

**Inspiration for Fanfic:** This fanfic's title is inspired by the song, "Memory", from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, "Cats".

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Welcome to the second part of my fanfiction mini-trilogy, _Journey to First Base_, part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :)

This part picks up where the last part left off. So, I'm excited to continue the story. :) Enjoy! :)

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Elijah Molvaro closed his mouth. Determination was revealed in his eyes. It was this determination that scared Frodo Baggins. Frodo hadn't a clue what was going, or what was about to transpire. Would Frodo call Elijah out for this deed? Did he know what was about to happen? Elijah couldn't tell. All he knew was that they needed to leave the high school and head for Maranguan's castle, Blackburg Castle, the same castle that now belonged to Ronnie Baggins, Elijah's distant relative, before something happened to them.

.

Elijah and Ronnie were eighteen years old. They both graduated from high school that same day, along with their eighteen-year-old friends Amethyst McClain, Cynthia Mordred Jensen, and Syrena. Elijah hadn't a clue where Seraphina and Jane were, his friends and distant relatives, but he had an inkling they were eighteen years old, too, the same as him.

Elijah and Ronnie resembled Frodo Baggins and Parker Dooley. Parker was their ancestor, as was Maranguan, who was Parker's dark/evil/neutral/good half. Elijah didn't know if Maranguan was allied with the good guys or the bad guys. He seemed to be in-between.

Elijah, Ronnie, and Frodo, as well as in Parker/Maranguan's human-hobbit form, had bright blue eyes, pale skin—although, Frodo's skin was lighter-than-usual, due to the Fallohide bloodline from his mother's side—fair elvish features, a cleft in their chin, short pointy ears, and soft, thick, curly dark brown hair resting on their heads as well as the tops of their feet.

Today, Elijah wore a white flowing shirt, tan suspenders, and dark brown breeches underneath his black graduation gown. Ronnie wore all black clothes underneath his black graduation gown. Frodo was dressed in a red jacket, a white flowing shirt, a floral red waistcoat, red suspenders, and dark red breeches. All three looked quite distinguished.

Amethyst and Cynthia both had brunette hair. They were both dressed up in dresses for today and looking quite elegant. Syrena transformed into her white standard-coated unicorn self. Elijah still couldn't get over the fact that Syrena could transform into a unicorn, but then Amethyst's shapeshifter form was a red, striped tabby cat, Cynthia was a black dragon, and Ronnie was a shaggy black bear in their shapeshifter forms. Elijah learned, thanks to an incident with the Sanderson Sisters, who unlocked his shapeshifter abilities, that his shapeshifter form was a golden-brown lion.

Aslan knew that Elijah had a part to play. Next to Ronnie, who practically was the key to stopping Valkorion, thanks to Maranguan leaving him as a failsafe, Elijah knew he was meant to help out his friends, everyone, including Frodo Baggins, whose memories had yet to be restored.

Elijah hoped today was the day when Frodo's memories were restored. Now, all he needed to do was get Frodo to Maranguan. He just hoped that Frodo would cooperate.

.

Elijah looked at Frodo, wondering what he would do. At first, Elijah thought he might come with him. Then Frodo changed his mind. Just before Frodo could get away, Elijah followed him.

"No, you're crazy! I'm not coming with you!" Frodo said, determined to leave Elijah. "I have a life here! A normal life. I'm not blowing this chance to follow you through a portal."

"Frodo. Frodo!" Elijah cried, getting his attention.

"What?" Frodo said, sharply. "I already told you, my life is here."

"Your life is fabricated by Aslan," Elijah said, stopping Frodo in his tracks. "The school board, all of us, it was an excuse for you to teach me and Ronnie about life. Sadly, this world isn't the only one you've been to. This realm isn't the only place you've seen. Isn't that right? Don't you remember?"

Frodo looked up at Elijah, telling him, "Look, I don't know what's going on, but the last thing I want is to come with you. Now, please, leave me alone." He walked away, determined to get away from Elijah as fast as he could. His own student, his favorite, had betrayed him and was now telling him lies. He couldn't stand this. He had to get away, to lead his own life. That's all that mattered.

Unfortunately, the second he looked at Elijah, Frodo was met by a golden-brown Lion. No, he knew this Lion. How did he know him?

"Aslan?" Frodo asked, stunned he knew the Lion's name. "No, no you come from that story about Narnia. How can you be here?"

"The fact that you know me means there is hope for you," Aslan said, humoring himself.

Elijah smiled. "Hullo Aslan. It's been a long time."

"Has it?" Aslan said, shocking Frodo.

"Wait, how do you know each other?" Frodo asked, staring at Elijah and Aslan.

"Now is not the time for questions. We must see you get to Blackburg Castle," Aslan said, encouraging Frodo to leave.

"But… what about my life? All of this? I can't just leave this village, let alone this realm… is this a realm?" Frodo asked, making Elijah roll his eyes.

"Yes, this is a realm. Now, come on. We must hurry," Aslan said, leaving Frodo bewildered.

"What about the school? My students?" Frodo asked, concerned for them.

"It will all be explained," Aslan said, allowing Frodo to climb on his back. Aslan waited until Frodo did this, before turning to the brunette-haired woman named Bethany, who was dressed in a blue nurse's outfit. "Bethany, take care of yourself while we're gone. It will be your job to head to Blackburg Castle. There's a new position for you."

"Yes Aslan," Bethany said, darting past Frodo and through the portal.

"What? Why does she get to leave?" Frodo asked, confused.

"It will all be explained with time. Now, come. We must hurry," Aslan said, leading Elijah through the portal and into Blackburg Castle, where Elijah followed him, along with Ronnie, Amethyst, Cynthia, and Elijah's parents, Rachal and Victor.

.

Blackburg Castle was in its own realm, the in-between realm, which sat in the mountainous region between the Land of Talking Animals and the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves. It was so named for its black stone walls and the icicles that sat on its outdoor foyer's ceiling. Black cushioned chairs and couches sat in the foyer, while a barrier shield kept the castle nice and warm, even when someone was in the foyer.

Maranguan set up the barrier, so that those who entered the castle could feel warm and comfortable inside. It was a relief that the scarred light red dragonoid did this, for Elijah feared that if the barrier was broken, the castle would grow cold again.

The second Elijah followed Aslan and Frodo to Blackburg Castle, he looked back at his friends and family as they entered the castle from the traveling mirror. It made sense now. The blue-rimmed portal connected to the traveling mirror. Now, it was Aslan's hope that Frodo's memories were recovered, before it was too late.

Elijah looked at Syrena as she spoke to Todd Brotzman. Todd resembled Frodo Baggins in all but his short brown hair, a short beard, and no hairy feet. Todd wore modern-day clothes, which made him stand out in the castle, next to Syrena who was still in her white standard-coated unicorn form. The way Syrena looked at Elijah and his friends made him nervous. They were family, after all. In fact, they were pretty much all family, except for Todd, who was on his own missions, as well as Amethyst and Cynthia, who were Ronnie's love interest and Elijah's love interest, respectively.

Syrena smiled upon seeing Aslan and Frodo. She rushed up to them, as Elijah, Ronnie, Amethyst, and Cynthia took off their black graduation gowns and set them on a nearby table. She stunned Frodo as he dismounted from Aslan's back, confusing the daylights out of him. Syrena looked at him for a moment, before she spoke to Aslan, "Oh good. You found him!" She looked at Frodo, asking him, "How are you?"

"How am I? I'm fine," Frodo said, confused. "Why do you want to know?"

Syrena took a deep breath, saying to him, "You'll know soon enough."

Frodo sighed, nodding. "Good. Then let's make this quick. I want to get home, back to my teaching job. If it's still there."

Syrena shook her head. "Unfortunately, it's not. The school board decided to get a new teacher. You're no longer the high school's teacher."

"What?" Frodo asked, alarmed. "How could you do this? How?"

"It wasn't just her," Elijah said, causing Frodo to face him. "It's all over the newspapers. I read about it last night. You're no longer the high school's teacher."

Frodo found a chair to sit down and reflect. "No. It can't be." He cupped his hands to his forehead, trying to understand what was going on. He moved his hands away, asking them, "How can this be true?" as Ronnie passed to him a newspaper, "What?"

"It's the Sunday Herald," Ronnie said, showing him the news article. "It's in there. It's right there."

Frodo observed the news article. It was a fact: he was no longer the high school's teacher. This made no sense. What was he supposed to do? With his life, everything? He looked up at Ronnie, asking, "No. How could this be? I have a life back home. My life is in the Land of Talking Animals. That's how it's always been."

"Is he gonna get worse?" Syrena asked Aslan, curiously. "I mean, you did say his amnesia would get worse, the closer he gets to his timeline."

"It will. I guarantee you, it will," Aslan said, leaving Frodo staring hotly at Syrena.

"You have no right to say that to me. My mind is fine!" Frodo stated, furiously.

"We'll see," Syrena said, curtly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Frodo asked, annoyed. "You know, you used to be one of my students. Now, now I don't know what you are, but you're scaring me."

"You'll thank me later," Syrena said, facing Ronnie and Elijah, "Is the portal open?"

"I'll be the judge of that," said a scarred light red dragonoid, walking down the foyer's stairway, dressed in black Dark Jedi robes. He smiled, upon approaching Aslan and saying, "The portal's ready. It's time for him to leave."

"Will you do the honors?" Aslan asked Maranguan, right as Frodo's vision blurred.

Frodo shook his head, trying to get the blurriness out of his head. He turned to Maranguan, finding his vision was getting worse. The colors swarmed across his vision, as he tried to recover from the blurriness. Already, he could hear Syrena call out to him. His ears rang. He couldn't stand this. He leaned back against the chair, feeling his forehead. It was hot, with beads of sweat running down his forehead, his neck, and his chest. He looked up at Maranguan as he grabbed him, confusing him.

"What? What are you doing?" Frodo asked, cautiously.

"We need to get him to Parker Dooley… NOW!" Maranguan said, leading the way through the portal, where Frodo hardly expected to be inside another castle, only brighter and more alive. Frodo looked around, seeing all the red and the dragonoid statues in the room. By the time Frodo looked around in the throne room, with Maranguan thankfully guiding him across the room, Frodo was caught by surprise upon seeing a light red dragonoid, with clean, smooth, scaly skin and wearing red robes, turn to him.

No. It was the dragonoid everyone spoke about, that Frodo heard from the history books. It was Parker Dooley. What was he doing here?

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Thanks for reading. :)


	2. Parker Dooley

Parker, like Maranguan, was a light red dragonoid with a lizard-like, humanoid body and a dragon-like head. They had a short snout with a tipped end pointed up towards the sky. Their three-fingered frills, with black tips at their ends, sat on the sides of their heads, while their long, furry, red ears sat between their frills and their pair of short, wavy, curvy, grey horns. Their eyes were cat-like, and while Parker had yellow eyes, Maranguan's was a mixture of yellow with a swirling red mist in the irises. Parker's black claws were retracted; at least, until he saw Maranguan, then they extended a little. Maranguan's black claws were partially extended, as he dragged Frodo into the throne room. As for Parker and Marnaguan's black spikes, they ran from their backs down to their medium-sized tails, which curled around their feet.

While Parker's skin was nice and clean, free from scars, Maranguan's skin had burns, bruises, and long jagged cuts running across his body, head, tail, and face. It was the one feature that identified who was who, and Maranguan knew it as well as Parker. While Parker wore red robes today, Maranguan was dressed in his black Dark Jedi robes, complete with a black leather tabard draped across his shoulders and down to his waist, where a silver utility belt held his tabard and his black pants in place.

Parker stood there, wondering what this was all about.

It took Parker a second to realize who Maranguan was. At that, Parker reached for his silver-hilted lightsaber and pulled it out, brandishing the silver beam at the push of a button. Parker snarled, not wanting Maranguan's company.

"Whoa! Whoa! I'm a friend!" Maranguan cried, pleading with his better half.

"If you are my friend, then you shouldn't have threatened me in the dream world," Parker growled, angry at him.

"Look, I come in peace. I even brought Frodo here," Maranguan said, pulling Frodo in front of him.

Parker eyed Frodo suspiciously, retracting his lightsaber a second later and putting it back on his utility belt. Parker asked Maranguan, "Is it time? Are my descendants all grown up?"

"Accounted for," Elijah said, making his presence known to Parker. Behind him came Ronnie, as well as Aslan, who spoke to Frodo directly:

"Frodo, do you know who this dragonoid is?" Aslan said, getting Frodo's attention.

"No. No, it can't be," Frodo said, gazing up at Parker's serene face. For a second, he knew nothing. Then something happened, the moment he looked at Parker. "Parker? Parker Dooley? Whoa!" He closed his eyes, feeling his memories resurface.

He remembered the adventures he had with Parker. He remembered his family members, the moment Parker knocked him unconscious the first time, before Aslan decided to use this to his advantage when transitioning between Ages. The last thing Frodo remembered, before his memories finished resurfacing, was being in the Portal Realm with Aslan turning him into a teacher, just before he reached the Third Age.

He took a few steps back, by the time his memories returned to him. Frodo felt his forehead. For a second, he thought he needed a chair. Then he looked up at Parker again, tears streaming down his eyes. They weren't tears of sadness—well, they were sad, but they were also happy, happy he was back to normal, with memories from both his lives flitting about in his mind.

"Parker, it's you," Frodo said, rushing up to Parker and embracing him. Parker hugged him, grateful to have his best friend back. "I thought I lost you! I nearly thought I lost myself! I remember now! I remember everything!"

Parker nodded, grateful to have him back. Patting Frodo's cheek, Parker said, "I'm glad to have you back. How do you feel, now that your memories are restored?"

"Honestly, I've never felt better," Frodo said, facing Elijah and Ronnie, who came up behind Elijah. Frodo approached them, telling them, "I remember you both. I remember teaching you about the First World, the First Age, all of it."

"Do you remember now, where you grew up?" Elijah asked, curiously.

"There's no need to talk about that, is there?' Ronnie asked, beside himself with worry.

"Shh! Let him speak!" Elijah whispered to his best friend.

Ronnie rolled his eyes, lowering his head as he said, "Oh well. All is well then."

Frodo nodded, smiling, "I remember teaching you two about the First World. I also remember growing up in the Shire until I was five. After that, I went on my own, back in time, throughout the Ages." He faced Parker, explaining to him, "It wasn't long until, after the First World was destroyed, that I found my way here, in the Dragonoid Realm. I got a lift, thanks to Aslan, heading for the Land of Talking Animals. There were rumors about your family heading to the Land of Dragons. So, I did my own investigating and I found something."

"And what did you find?" Parker asked him, curiously.

Frodo shook his head, saying, "It was your brother, Turen Dooley, who stole the Encrusted Jewel."

Parker nodded. "I knew that." He failed to mention that he was there, at the Dooley Mansion, after his step-brother, Turen/Mordru, ransacked the place and killed his family, taking their mother, Cinthia Dooley, with him to the evil dragonoid cave. Oh, how much had changed since that time, all those Ages ago.

"Well, what you don't know is that Turen stole the Encrusted Jewel and used it to track you down. He's hiding in the Land of Dragons, working on his plan to get back at you for killing his family. He wants revenge. He'll stop at nothing to get it," Frodo added, "The Encrusted Jewel is what's keeping him young. I just thought you should know that about him. He's kept it all this time. He's still using the name Mordru as a cover. He wants revenge. I fear he's going to do something horrible."

"Do you know when he might turn up?" Parker asked, curiously.

Frodo shook his head, saying, "I don't know. Maybe sometime during my time. It's hard to say. He won't come out unless he knows you're there, alone. I fear something terrible is going to happen, if he succeeds. Just be careful. I fear for you. I fear for your life."

Parker nodded, saying, "Well, thank you for the warning me, but there's nothing we can't handle."

"My lord!" one maroon dragonoid approached Parker, wearing red robes and carrying scrolls. Elijah stared at the maroon dragonoid in amazement, just as Parker explained to him:

"Some maroon dragonoids weren't affected by my spell. They were the lucky ones." Parker looked at the maroon dragonoid, asking him, "Davon, what is it?"

"There's incoming ships. They're not our colors! I fear they're the enemy's colors," Davon said, warningly.

Parker nodded, leaving the throne room. He turned to Frodo and the others, telling them, "Come with me. Now!"

"Parker, what's going on? Where's Eliza?" Frodo asked, worriedly.

"Eliza's in the south tower. She has no idea about these oncoming ships," Parker said, making his way towards the castle's entrance courtyard. The moment he stepped outside, along with the others who came here to find him, Parker stopped in the entrance courtyard. Before him was a witch with green skin and dressed in a black and purple gown. She carried a staff with a glowing yellow orb on top of the staff. Her raven joined her, grateful to be of service.

"Hello Maleficent," Parker said, making introductions known to her. "I'm afraid you're not welcome here. This is my realm, not yours."

"Well!" Maleficent said, pleased. "I must say this is quite the turnout." She turned to Frodo, telling him, "Hello Frodo Baggins. My, my how you've grown. You're still keeping away from my gaze."

"You have no business here. Go away!" Frodo shouted, annoyed with her.

"Well, well. Is that anyway to treat a guest?" Maleficent asked, cackling. "I must say, I'm going to enjoy tearing this realm apart."

Parker extended a hand out to Frodo, forcing the gentle-hobbit not to interfere. Parker returned his gaze to Maleficent, telling her, "Maleficent, this is your last chance: go away and don't come back. You wouldn't want to start a war."

Maleficent chuckled. "Oh, you underestimate me. Therefore, I place a curse on this realm and others like it. Soon, there will be a war. Heroes versus heroes and villains versus villains. It is a battle where none will survive and all the victors will be slain. It shall be done, as is promised."

"Wait!" Frodo said, stopping Maleficent from completing her curse. Frodo closed his eyes, making sure there was a failsafe to the curse, "You don't want to do that. Give us a chance to live! If there must be a battle, let it be done my way. You know what way that is, don't you?"

Maleficent paused, thinking on his words. She retracted, completing her curse, "Very well. Only love can defeat this curse. The power of friendship, a kiss of true love, something that will turn the tables around. You have until the end of the Third Age to complete this task, or see the worlds fall to ruin!" A lightning bolt flashed, leaving Maleficent cackling as she disappeared into the darkness.

Frodo sighed, unsure what he just did. He turned to Parker, who only glowered at him. This was not what he wanted at all.

.

Parker returned to the throne room, seething. He looked at Frodo as he re-entered the throne room, along with the others. Right away, Parker told Frodo, "This was not meant to happen. You do realize you just cursed us all! How dare you! Aslan should put you under amnesia, and me as well. I can't live with a curse, not like this."

Maranguan gulped. "Valkorion is on the loose. He's going to do something drastic. I fear it will come to the First Base."

Parker raised an index finger, telling him off, "You're not supposed to be here. You do realize what you've done to me! I lost my wife because of you!"

"She came back!" Maranguan said, furious. "You should be thanking me for bringing her back. I've been protecting you and Frodo, and this family, for far too long! I'm sorry I scared you, but Vitiate was right there. What else was I supposed to do? Just leave him to tear us apart?"

"I wish he had, so I wouldn't have to deal with a curse," Parker said, huffing and puffing. "Aslan knew this would happen. He knew it! Didn't he?"

"Come on. This isn't like you," Maranguan said, determination in his eyes. "I just saved your life from Vitiate. We're going to defeat him, before we can take down Maleficent's curse. She said at the end of the Third Age. That's around the time…"

"What?" Frodo asked, getting involved. He understood from his teachings. "I know about the Ring and my quest to destroy it. You don't think I don't know?" He paused, telling them, "Look, ever since Aslan put me under amnesia, I found out about my own story. I read the books. I know how it's going to end for me."

"Really? I thought you didn't know about your future," Elijah said, confused.

Frodo looked at Elijah, telling him, "That was years ago. I didn't know. I found out in our high school, when reading 'The Lord of the Rings'. I know what's about to happen. The fact that I'm a shapeshifter makes it worse. I could survive, but I don't know if shapeshifters survive Morgul Blade wounds or Shelob's venom. I could end up sailing to the Undying Lands. But I will not let Sam torture Gollum. That was not tolerate," he said, referring to Samwise Gamgee.

He sighed, admitting to them all, "I don't know if Sam knows who I am, let alone what we're about to do. Or Merry or Pippin." He sat down on a chair, perplexed with what he knew. "Teaching was the only life I knew, when I was amnesiac. I would give anything to teach again, but I can't. I have a destiny to fulfill." He turned to Parker and Maranguan, telling them, "And I just saved your lives! Be grateful that I did, or Maleficent would have killed us all."

"She said the victors would be slain. I don't think that means everyone will survive," Parker said, serious. "She gave her curse. Now, now there's no way to defeat it."

Aslan nodded. "There's always my way. I know how to cure this curse."

"You do?" Maranguan asked, as Parker placed his hand over his lips, doing his best to calm down.

"Why yes. Shall I begin?" Aslan asked. Several heads nodded, leaving Aslan to stomp his paw on the stone floor. He announced, "This curse will come to pass, but it will not have the victors be slain. Instead, the victors will be defeated, but they will find a way to break this curse. Whether by the power of friendship or true love, it doesn't matter. What's done is done and this curse shall be lifted with time." He moved his paw, moving it away to show a green sprout growing from the stone. "This sprout will turn into a living tree. This tree will give us access to the Four Realms, where the Nutcracker lives. Only he can tell us what will happen next. I won't be accompanying you on this new journey."

"Aslan, no. What would we do without you?" Frodo said, remembering it was Aslan who made him go amnesiac, after Parker.

Aslan faced him, telling him, "You'll have to be brave." He added, "Complete your deeds in the Four Realms. Then come back. I will guide you to the Land of Talking Animals. The bubble worlds will have settled, and you can begin your base in the First Base, or the Heart of the Land of Talking Animals."

"The First Base?" Elijah asked, curiously.

"That is what it shall be called from now on," Aslan said, turning towards the doors. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other worlds to attend to. By the time you get to First Base, it shall be different. Frodo," he got Frodo's attention, "Bethany will be waiting for you at First Base. She is a hobbit lass. You'll know what to do when you see her. It shouldn't be that hard to find her."

"I know, but Aslan…" Frodo looked up, noticing that the Lion had disappeared. He sighed, nodding, "…good luck."

"Well come on, let's get this over with," Parker said, approaching the tree. He watched as Maranguan, Frodo, and Ronnie joined him. Amethyst and Cynthia, who entered Parker's castle, ran off in search of Eliza, Parker's dragonoid, now human, wife. Elijah watched Parker look at Frodo, Maranguan, and Ronnie, asking them, "Are you ready to go?"

Frodo nodded, at the same time as Ronnie, "I'm ready."

"Wait. Shouldn't I come, too? I mean, I was the one who brought Frodo here, right?" Elijah asked, cautious. Maranguan glowered, causing Elijah to remember, "No. I brought Frodo from the school to your castle. Well, actually Ronnie's castle."

"Elijah, keep hold of the fort, while we're gone," Ronnie said, curtly.

Elijah nodded, "I will." He smiled, "You have my word."

"Are we ready?" Parker asked Maranguan, Frodo, and Ronnie, who nodded in return.

"Ready," Frodo, Maranguan, and Ronnie said, right as the sprout opened up a barrier. The trio and Parker fell through, disappearing on sight as the barrier closed. Elijah was left alone, awaiting their safe return.

"Good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for," Elijah said, not knowing what to do.

*.*.*

**References:**

Maleficent comes from the Disney animated film, "Sleeping Beauty", and the Disney live-action film, "Maleficent".


	3. Drosselmeyer

Sorry for the short delay. This chapter took me time to think through, draft, and revise. Well, now that it's up, let's continue with the story. :)

*.*.*

The greenish-white light vanished, causing Frodo, Maranguan, Parker, and Ronnie to land in a decorated Christmas tree. For a moment, Frodo had become so small that he looked like a toy. Then his size grew larger as he tumbled towards the rug, where the wrapped Christmas presents were kept. He wasn't the only one who fell down the Christmas tree, for Maranguan, Parker, and Ronnie joined him, all their proper sizes again by the time they reached the bottom of the tree. Frodo's proper size returned, too. He looked at Parker as Maranguan patted his shoulder, drawing his energy into Parker until Maranguan disappeared. Maranguan was now united with Parker, as he looked around in horror.

"Oh no! You're a dragonoid," Frodo told Parker, shocking the light red dragonoid.

"Ah!" Parker gasped, as a swirling red mist entered his irises. He couldn't keep Maranguan contained. He tried to keep Maranguan locked inside of him. Somehow, it didn't work. Maranguan was too strong! Parker collapsed on the floor, too weakened by Maranguan's strength. How much stronger had Maranguan become? He seemed to remember Maranguan equaled him in strength, the last time they met.

_Let me help you! I want to help you,_ Maranguan whispered in his ear.

"No!" Parker cried, trying to keep Maranguan inside of himself. "You're my problem. Not anyone else's!"

"Please! Let me help you!" Maranguan spoke aloud.

"No!" Parker groaned, struggling to keep Maranguan inside.

"Shh!" Frodo shushed him. "You can worry about this another time."

Parker hissed, his eyes turning red. "You're one to talk." He closed his eyes, growling as Maranguan shot out of him. Parker sighed grateful it was over. He felt his forehead, wondering what went wrong.

"We can't be inside each other anymore," Maranguan said, patting Parker's shoulder. "I'm sorry. It's just the way it has to be."

"Why couldn't I contain you? I was supposed to contain you. I didn't want you out of me," Parker hissed, snarling at him. "Why are you haunting me?"

"Because you can't keep your dark side inside yourself much longer. I am not dark, not anymore," Maranguan said, calmly. "If you want, I can keep watch of Frodo for you."

"What can you do for him?" Parker asked, confused as Frodo gazed at them in horror. "He looks scared. Are you frightened of me?"

Frodo nodded. "Maybe. Why am I here? Why are we here?"

"Shh! Someone's coming!" Ronnie said, poking his head out from behind the Christmas tree. To his surprise, the room was massive. There were so many men dressed up in tuxedos, while the girls and women were dressed up in elegant dresses. It was a ball to remember. A truly, wonderful ball. Ronnie looked at Parker and Maranguan, telling them, "Right. You two need to keep hidden, or else transform into hobbits or humans. We can't be seen like this. You know that. This isn't our world. This is…"

"Earth," Frodo said, gazing out from the Christmas tree. "We can't be here. Why are we here? What's going on?"

"It's the Four Realms. This house must be the gateway to the Four Realms," Parker said, calmly. He looked at Maranguan, saying, "Look, if you're here to help us, then keep quiet or stay hidden."

Maranguan nodded. "I'll watch over you both. All three of you." He said to Ronnie, vanishing a moment later.

"He's gone," Ronnie said, shocked.

Maranguan laughed in the air. "I'm always around. Wait and see."

Parker snarled, not liking this, "We need to change form. Any ideas?"

Frodo nodded. Ronnie sighed, telling them, "Well, whatever we gotta do, we better do it fast." He looked at Frodo and Parker, saying, "I have a plan."

"Great. What is it?" Frodo asked, curiously.

Ronnie looked at Frodo with intrigue. It was now or never.

.

Frodo and Ronnie climbed out from behind the Christmas tree. Their hairy feet were covered in black shoes, something that intrigued Frodo. He always wanted to try on a pair of shoes, or have shoes on his feet to keep them warm. Boots were what he wanted to try on most. He was jealous of the Stoors for wearing boots all the time. Boots was something he wanted to try on. Just once, he wished he could try boots on.

Frodo couldn't get over his grey socks. Why did he have to wear socks? At least, he and Ronnie were dressed up in black tuxedos, with bowties, and white flowing shirts. Now, all they were missing was a warm black coat, to keep them warm at night.

"Do these socks make my feet look big?" Frodo asked Ronnie, feeling the socks' wool itch against his skin. He reached down to scratch his ankles, embarrassing Ronnie at the same time.

Ronnie pulled Frodo up, telling him, "Guys don't ask guys that stuff, do they?"

"I rather doubt it," Frodo said. He was grateful Ronnie showed him the shapeshifter ability to transform their clothes into whatever they wanted to. It was convenient. It meant that Frodo could wander around in any world, looking like the locals. It gave him a chance to blend in. That was good, right?

It made him happy that Ronnie showed him this trick. Above anything, this trick was useful for their disguise.

_Thump!_ Frodo and Ronnie turned towards the Christmas tree, watching Parker tumble from behind it, in his human/hobbit form. Parker was dressed in a black tuxedo, complete with a white flowing shirt and a stylish floral bowtie. Parker huffed, doing his best to keep calm. Was his foot twisted?

"Ow!" Parker winced in pain, managing to stand up, but with help from Frodo and Ronnie. "I'm fine! Where's Maranguan?"

"You're dazed. Come on. We should look for Drosselmeyer, if he's here," Ronnie said, catching a glimpse of an elderly man who resembled Drosselmeyer. "Look, there! That must be him!"

"Ow! Easy," Parker hissed, wincing in pain. He sighed in relief when his healing powers worked on his left ankle and his foot. It was such a relief to have that ability. "Good. Now, I can stand." He sighed in relief, feeling Maranguan rush back to him. He snarled, telling him, "What do you want?"

_Drosselmeyer's here!_ Maranguan said to Parker, Frodo, and Ronnie. Maranguan pointed out an elderly man at the end of the hall, drinking his drink. Parker sighed. Perfect. Someone he could prank. Maybe he should talk to another elderly chap, who spoke to a young man.

"If you'll excuse me," Parker said, making his way over to the elderly gentleman. He noticed Frodo and Ronnie follow him, when he spoke to the elderly man, "Hey, you want to see a trick?" His face turned dragonoid, as he showed his red, angry eyes, scaring the man.

"By jove!" the elderly man said, collapsing on the floor.

Parker nearly stayed that way, when Frodo and Ronnie pulled him off to the side. Parker's human/hobbit features restored to his face, including his bright blue eyes returning to his irises yet again. Parker looked at the man, telling him, "Yeah! You better know what's good for you! The dragonoids will hear about this!"

"Parker," Frodo hissed, getting his friend's attention, "what is it? What's bothering you? Calm down."

Parker hissed, snarling at him, as he said, "You were gone for eighteen years. Maranguan vanishes within that time. Do you know what's it like not having your other half around? Of course, I act drunk." He sighed, admitting his faults, "I shouldn't have behaved that way. I'm sorry. It's just… with all that's been going on… I didn't know if I had it in me. Now, we'll never know."

"I forgive you," Frodo said, getting his attention.

"You do? But I thought… I thought I would have to go it alone," Parker said, shaking his head. "I don't want to go it alone. It's awful," he said, a few tears streaming down his face. He wiped them off, looking at the man again. "I need to talk to him, apologize."

Frodo nodded. "That would be wise. Just don't make the room forget what you did. That wouldn't be wise."

"I'm coming back," Parker said, approaching the man and telling him, kinder, "I'm sorry for what I did to you. That was awful. My dark half is still hanging around somewhere. I lost him for eighteen years. I haven't been myself since then. Can you forgive me?"

The elderly man, with help, got up on his feet again. He looked at Parker, straightening his tuxedo, as he said, "You've got some nerve coming here. You… You're Parker Dooley."

"How do you know?" Parker asked, cautious.

"Because I know a dragonoid when I see one. My mother was a black dragonoid. So, I know what they're like," the elderly man said, noticing a spirit wander throughout the house. He looked at Parker, who stared stunned at him.

"You're part dragonoid? I thought dragonoids didn't come to this world," Parker asked, cautious.

"I don't know what they teach you in that realm of yours, but yes, fantastic creatures are allowed to wander in this world. You just need to know where to look for them," the elderly man said with a warm, happy smile. He whispered to Parker, "I'm a shapeshifter, too. You're not alone in this world."

Frodo approached the man, with Ronnie following behind him. Frodo asked the elderly man, "How did you end up here?"

"It's a long story," the elderly man said with a smile. He whispered in Parker's ear, "I'm sure your father would love to hear from you. He's right over there."

"Holman's here? But he died!" Parker gasped, unsure what to make of this.

"Well, go and talk to him. He may know more about your situation than me," the elderly man said, looking at the light red dragonoid spirit, who wandered by the food tables.

Parker sighed in understanding. He looked at the elderly man, saying, "Thank—you." It was too late. The elderly man wandered off to speak to the younger man. Parker sighed, making his way over to his spirit father.

.

The second Holman met his living son's gaze, he stood there in shock and interest. Holman smiled at Parker, returning to the treats set up on the table. There were Christmas sugar wreath cookies, decorated in buttermilk frosting, as well as green and red sprinkles. There were also chocolate covered cherries next to the Christmas wreath cookies. Oh, there was so much to try here!

In time, Holman passed to Parker a Christmas wreath cookie, causing the lad to feel anxious, like he was his teenage dragonoid self all over again. Parker smiled, thanking his spirit father for the cookie, before munching on the cookie. The frosting's buttermilk flavor, next to the cookie's sugary surface delighted Parker's senses, but it didn't convince him that his father was here, as if he came from the Portal Realm to see him.

Parker waited until his cookie was halfway eaten, before asking his father, "Why are you here? How are you here? I don't understand—"

"Son," Holman placed a smooth, scaly, light red dragonoid hand on his son's human/hobbit shoulder, "don't worry. You still have your task to complete: to find Mother Ginger and the other Regents of the Four Realms and ask them about the curse, how to prevent it, or," he shrugged, "to allow it to complete itself. Aslan did leave a failsafe in the curse, didn't he?"

"He did. Well, I did. It's good to see you," Frodo said, announcing himself before Parker's father.

Holman smiled, saying, "It's good to see you, too." He sighed, facing Parker again as Parker finished eating his cookie. "Don't worry. I'm right here when you need me."

"Where's Drosselmeyer?" Parker asked, curiously. He finished stuffing his face with the cookie, munching it down, and finally licking his fingers of the sprinkles and frosting.

Holman turned around, showing Parker a man with olive skin and grey hair, dressed in a black tuxedo. "He's right over there." Holman smiled, patting Parker's shoulder, "Good luck. You may find what you need from him."

"Right," Parker said, gesturing to Frodo and Ronnie to follow him over to Drosselmeyer. "Come on. We'd better speak to him."

"Right," Ronnie and Frodo said, following Parker away from Holman, as the spirit dragonoid waved to them, before departing the room in a flurry.

Parker sighed, wiping his mouth, with his hand, of the cookie crumbs and frosting, before approaching Drosselmeyer. Drosselmeyer looked at the trio, intrigued by them. "Well, what do we have here? Frodo Baggins and his ancestors. What brings to my lovely abode?"

Frodo's eyes widened in fright, as he asked, "You know who I am?"

"I know all your names. Aslan declared that I know your names, before you got here. What seems to be the trouble?" Drosselmeyer asked, curiously.

Parker approached him, telling him, "We had a little trouble along the way. There's a curse coming. Maybe not on Earth, but it's coming soon. It's coming to our Universe, Frodo's Universe, Ronnie's, and mine. We need your help. We thought if we went to the Four Realms, it might solve our problems. There isn't trouble in the Four Realms, is there?"

"I'm afraid not. A curse. That's trouble. You can follow the rope. It'll guide you to the Four Realms, but know that if you go there, you may not like what you find there," Drosselmeyer said, revealing a gold rope for Frodo, Parker, and Ronnie.

"Thank you. Let's go," Parker said, following the rope, alongside Frodo and Ronnie. The rope stretched out to the outside snowy courtyard and into the next room of the house. He and his descendants followed the rope, determined to reach its destination.

Up the stairs they climbed, reaching a hallway or two with red wallpaper on the walls' surfaces. They had no idea where the rope ended until it stopped at a wooden door. That left them with a big question: should they follow the rope and see where it led? Open the door and continue from there? It would lead them to misery, if they found out what lurked beyond the door.

Parker looked at Frodo and Ronnie, asking them, "Are we ready to go?"

Ronnie shrugged, as did Frodo. Ronnie looked at Parker, telling him, "We're ready, whenever you are."

Parker nodded. "Right. Here we go."

"Oh, Mother Ginger, where are you?" Frodo asked, as Parker opened the door. He stared stunned at the snowy landscape that stood beyond the door. Frodo followed Parker and Ronnie through the passage, determined to reach their destination. However, they didn't reach the other side of the house. Instead, they were in a snowy area filled with tall Christmas pine trees.

Where exactly were they? Where do they go from here?


	4. Mother Ginger's Scroll

Frodo was the last to leave the log tunnel and enter the land of snowy Christmas trees. He heard of Christmas from his time as a teacher. In fact, he remembered celebrating Christmas with his fellow students for the past eighteen years. How would he have known what Christmas was about, unless he experienced it with his students?

The fact that he knew about Christmas said a lot about his past life. Not his old life in the Shire, but the one he had as a teacher, teaching Elijah Molvaro and Ronnie Baggins about their home world, which now felt like it was his home world. It was as if he belonged in the Land of Talking Animals more than in the Shire. Was that wrong?

Frodo looked at the rope as it guided them to the largest Christmas tree in the forest. He looked back at Ronnie and Parker, who observed another Christmas tree. He looked back at the rope as it ended, leading him to a small scroll, which he pulled from the tree's branches. He opened the scroll, reading the message to himself.

_Every journey begins with the first step._

_-Lao Tzu_

Frodo stared at the quote. Was it supposed to mean something? Well, it meant his journey was only beginning. Maybe that was it. He looked up at Parker, as Parker approached. Frodo gulped, passing the scroll to him, who read the quote to himself, too.

"Well, we'd better get going. Who knows what we'll find here?" Parker said, passing the scroll back to Frodo.

"But it could mean something. Maybe that's why Drosselmeyer sent us here," Frodo said, staring at the scroll. He looked up, stopping Parker in his tracks, "Come on. You were never this doubtful. What happened?"

Parker turned his head, telling Frodo and Ronnie, who joined Frodo a moment later, "I already told you. You've been gone for eighteen years. That's around the time that Elijah and Ronnie were born. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, but you don't know what I've been through. Let's go." He walked on without a second's thought.

Ronnie looked at Frodo, asking him, "Is there something Parker's not telling us?"

Frodo shrugged, shaking his head.

"Well, whatever it is, we'd better follow him," Ronnie suggested with candor.

Frodo nodded. "Good idea. I'm taking this with me," he said, stuffing the scroll inside his jacket pocket.

Ronnie sighed, nodding to him. "Good enough. Let's go."

"Right," Frodo said, following Ronnie after Parker. By the time they caught up to him, Parker looked at the two in intrigue. He so badly wanted to become a light red dragonoid.

Parker looked up at the same time as Frodo and Ronnie, right as an olive-skinned man wearing red armor and riding a white horse approached. This man reminded Parker of someone; someone he'd forgotten long ago.

"Who are you?" Parker asked the olive-skinned soldier.

"I am the Nutcracker," the Nutcracker stated. "Who are you?"

"He's Parker Dooley," Frodo stepped forward, introducing Parker. "I'm Frodo Baggins," he gestured for Ronnie, "and this is my ancestor, Ronnie Baggins. Parker's also my ancestor."

The Nutcracker raised an eyebrow, wondering how it was possible.

Frodo smirked, shrugging, "I know. It's confusing. We've grown used to it." He said, referring to himself, Parker, and Ronnie.

"I haven't yet," Ronnie admitted, causing Frodo to nudge him.

Frodo looked up at the Nutrcracker, saying, "We were wondering if you could—"

The Nutcracker's attention turned to Parker. He told Parker, interrupting Frodo, "Say, you're Parker Dooley. _The_ Parker Dooley?"

Parker nodded. "I am. What's it to you?"

The Nutcracker smiled. "The Four Realms has heard of you. There was a war, but Clara Stahlbaum took care of it, ended it. She's the Princess of the Four Realms, after her mother, Marie Stahlbaum, passed away."

"There's been a war?" Parker asked, curtly. "We're about to enter one, a new war between heroes and villains. Well, heroes versus heroes and villains versus villains. Maleficent's doing."

The Nutcracker's horse reared up, whinnying. The Nutcracker calmed his horse down, pointing out, "Maleficent's growing in strength. Her powers know no bounds."

Parker nodded. "Yes, we understand that. But we need information, and I'm afraid Mother Ginger is the only one who can help. Can she help us?"

"She might not be the only one," Frodo said, pointing this out.

"I'll take you to the palace," the Nutcracker said, following his duty. He turned his horse around, telling the trio, "This way, and Parker?"

"Yes?" Parker asked, curiously.

"You might want to turn into a light red dragonoid. You'll be easily recognizable in this realm, if you do that," the Nutcracker suggested.

That was exactly what Parker feared: turning into a dragonoid. Would he be safe? What if something got to him and he wouldn't know how to turn back? He sighed, deciding to turn himself into a light red dragonoid. The moment his shapeshifted into a light red dragonoid, still wearing his black tuxedo, Parker growled. He moved his hands out, creating a whirlwind that led them to the palace. Parker sighed, exhaustion overwhelming him. He calmed down, his strength returning.

"What did you do?" Frodo asked, confused. He looked around, seeing all the Nutcracker soldiers surround them. He looked at Parker, saying, "Parker, you teleported us here."

"I didn't know I had it in me," Parker said, wondering what other powers he had.

"Calm down," the Nutcracker announced to his fellow soldiers, "Parker Dooley's a friend, as are his companions. They're seeking Mother Ginger. Can you help us?" The soldiers looked at each other in confusion. What did the Nutcracker mean by that? The Nutcracker smiled, knowing everything would be fine. "Give them a minute. I'm sure they'll come around." He clicked his teeth, waiting for the soldiers to realize what was happening.

"Are they friendly?" Frodo asked, standing his ground.

Parker smirked, whispering, "Calm down. You embarrass me."

"And no sign of Mother Ginger," Ronnie said, stretching his neck muscles. He told Frodo and Parker, "Ooh! When she comes, I'll going to have a word with her." He smirked at Frodo and Parker, who only stared at him in confusion. "What? Isn't that why we're here? To fight."

"Certainly," a woman with ginger hair, and wearing a red dress, approached them. Ronnie had no doubts who this was, or so he hoped. The woman reached them, causing the soldiers to back away. She spoke to the Nutcracker and his three companions, "I'm Mother Ginger."

"Oh," Frodo said.

Mother Ginger raised an eyebrow, surprised, "Surprised? You were expecting someone else? Someone who didn't have broken porcelain on her face?" Frodo looked at her face. Indeed, her face did look like broken porcelain, but he didn't mind. In fact, he spoke about it, as if the situation was normal.

"Well, no! It suits you," Frodo said, trying to be polite.

Mother Ginger smirked, enjoying his company. "That'll do." She looked at the three travelers, asking them, "Now, why have you come at this most dreadful hour? We've heard about Maleficent spreading a new curse upon the lands. Word travels fast in the Four Realms." She shrugged, "What do you need?"

Parker moved in front of his friends, telling her, "Please, we need to know if there's a way to stop the curse from spreading."

"The curse is already here. Sadly, it won't be complete until the end of the Third Age," Mother Ginger stated. "Now, what do you need to help you stop this curse from completing, when it completes?"

"Do you—have anything like that?" Parker asked, shocked she knew his question, before he asked it.

"Come," Mother Ginger said, leading Parker and his friends inside the castle, where she hoped she could find what they were looking for.

.

Their journey led them inside a wide room with an oval shaped pool, standing in the centermost part of the room. What this oval pool meant was hard to say. For a moment, Frodo thought he saw himself, dressed like royalty, in the pool. Could such a thing be possible? He hardly knew. He looked up, watching Mother Ginger paw through her scrolls, sitting on a bookshelf, inside a dark mahogany bookcase.

"Ha! Here it is!" Mother Ginger cried, pulling out a golden scroll, which she passed to Parker. "This scroll will tell you what you need. But do not open it until after the Great Battle is over!"

Parker gulped. "You mean after we've been defeated."

Mother Ginger smirked. "No. The scroll will open after the Great Battle is over. For now, it must remain closed. No one can read it. It must be kept in a safe place until after the Great Battle is over. There is hope for us yet. Just wait and see. I'm entrusting you to keep this scroll, until it's time to open it." She smiled, approaching Frodo and resting her hands on his cheeks, "Now, you be good. We wouldn't want to see you get into trouble. Your time is coming." She added, "Don't fret. You'll know everything soon enough."

Frodo sighed, looking at her, admitting, "I may not know everything, but I will try. Your pool showed me as a leader, a king. Is that possible? I don't feel royal."

"Your bloodline is made up of royals. Even Ronnie Baggins will become a great king," Mother Ginger said, smiling at Ronnie. She faced Frodo, adding, "And Elijah Molvaro will need your help. His time as a ruler is coming. Now go," she looked at Parker, Ronnie, and Frodo, telling them, "It's time for you to head home."

"Yes, Mother Ginger," Frodo, Parker, and Ronnie said, following the Nutcracker out of the palace and back to the Christmas Tree Forest.

.

After a walk, the four companions reached the log where Parker, Frodo, and Ronnie had entered the Four Realms. Frodo sighed, wondering when he would see these realms again. He hoped it wouldn't be long before he explored the Four Realms again.

"Well," the Nutcracker said, getting their attentions, "if there's anything you need, don't bother to come to the realms again. The Four Realms will always need their heroes."

Frodo looked at the Nutcracker, saying, "Thank you. I only hope there are more people like you."

The Nutcracker smiled. "You're welcome." He wasn't alone, for a mouse made it up to the Nutcracker's shoulder. The Nutcracker smiled, grateful to see his mouse friend. "And what do you think? Good?" The mouse chirped, leaving the Nutcracker smiling again. The Nutcracker faced Frodo and his friends, telling them, "Good luck."

"You too," Frodo, Parker, and Ronnie said at the same time, right as Parker transformed back into his human/hobbit form and climbed inside the log, dressed in his black tuxedo. Ronnie followed, leaving Frodo to stand by the log. He looked at the Nutcracker, knowing everything would be all right. Frodo nodded, making his way inside the log. It wasn't long before the Nutcracker waved to them, as Frodo and his companions reached Drosselmeyer's house.

.

Frodo followed Parker and Ronnie down the hallway and back down the stairs. There, they found Drosselmeyer, speaking to the guests as one of the servants took care of the rope for them. Drosselmeyer looked at the trio when they came down the stairs to greet him. Parker put the golden scroll inside his jacket pocket, making sure it was small enough to fit inside his pocket.

Drosselmeyer smiled, telling the trio, "You're back. Did you find what you need?"

"Yes," Parker said, curtly. He looked at Frodo and Ronnie, before looking at Drosselmeyer. He told Drosselmeyer, "We need to head back home. I fear something terrible is going to happen."

"Well, take a few cookies, before you go. I'm sure there's plenty," Drosselmeyer said.

"We shouldn't," Parker said, not wanting to carry more stuff with him.

"I'll grab some!" Ronnie said, rushing towards the dessert table to grab more Christmas wreath sugar cookies.

Parker sighed, telling Ronnie, "Just don't take too many! It's a portal away from our home!"

"Our home?" Frodo asked Parker, confused.

Parker looked at him, saying, "Yes, our home. What? Did you think you wouldn't have a new home?" He approached Ronnie, saying, "Come on. Grab however many you want. We'll store them somewhere."

"Really?" Ronnie asked, curtly.

Parker nodded. "We will. Don't worry."

"Great! Well, I'm ready," Ronnie said, finishing putting the Christmas wreath sugar cookies into a sandwich bag, before stuffing them in his jacket pocket. He shrugged, telling Parker, "I'm ready to go," he looked at Frodo, adding, "whenever you are."

"Right," Frodo said, as Parker pulled out his grey device, "let's go."

Parker nodded. "At once," he said, pressing a button that opened a blue-rimmed portal. He sighed, as Maranguan flew inside his body. "Let's go." He made his way towards the portal, with Frodo and Ronnie following him. At last, they were through the portal and back at Dragonoid Castle, without a minute to spare.


	5. A Realm in Peril

**Warning:** This chapter is filled with gore and intense scenes. Readers beware!

*.*.*

Frodo looked around Parker's throne room in shock. Blood dripped off the stone walls, while on the stone floor and red rugs were scores of dead bodies, beat up and bloody, with bruises and red stains all over their clothes, arms, legs, heads, and feet. The entire scene made Frodo sick. He looked down at the sprout, which was still green and young, growing slowly by the second.

"What the? What happened to my house?" Parker asked, shocked beyond belief.

Frodo gasped. He stared at Parker, shocked to see Parker was in his light red dragonoid form. "Oh no! You look like a light red dragonoid."

"What? No!" Parker groaned, noticing he had shapeshifted into his light red dragonoid form while traveling via portal to the Dragonoid Castle. He asked, while staring at his dragonoid form, "Why did I shapeshift, while traveling via portal? That makes no sense!" He growled, staring up and around the area.

Frodo sighed, shaking his head. Somehow, Parker was still angry. He wouldn't calm down. Frodo wondered if Parker would ever calm down. Then again, it wasn't the light red dragonoid's fault. He'd been through a lot, and now they were going through turbulent times. Parker had a reason to be angry, as Frodo concluded in that moment.

Parker stared at his throne room, his temper and bewilderment over the top as he observed the dead bodies. "What the? What happened to my castle? My home? Oh!" He sighed, his temper dissipating, turning into sorrow. "This was not meant to be!" he cried, his anger boiling. "Someone's gotta pay for this!"

"Parker, you need to calm down. Control your temper. Do something!" Frodo said, trying to calm him. Parker didn't pay attention, his mind too focused on the situation. Frodo inquired, "Listen, we need to do something. We need to find Eliza and Elijah, and get to the bottom of this."

"Eliza's not here?" Parker asked, frightened. "She was supposed to be here. Where is she?"

Frodo approached Parker, grabbing his arm. "Listen, we're not going to do anything standing around. We need a plan. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Do you think you can stand?"

"This wasn't meant to be. Life would go on. All would be peaceful," Parker said, horrified. He pointed out the dead bodies. "These are my servants. The cooks and chefs. They had family, friends. And there, Mistress Halide, she had someone to love, who loved her." He grimaced at the thought of seeing more dead bodies in the castle. He rushed from the scene, jerking away from Frodo as he ran out of throne room. "I need to find Eliza! Eliza, where are you?"

Frodo shook his head, patting his legs in dismay. "This wasn't supposed to happen!" He told Ronnie, who observed the dead bodies. "We were meant to come here. And now, this. Do you think something happened, while we were gone?"

"I don't know. There's so many dead bodies," Ronnie said, gulping. He looked at Frodo, telling him, "We can't stay here. Blackburg Castle is a safe refuge. We could go there. It'll be safe. Safe from all these dead bodies. Why are we talking in here?"

"Ronnie, take me out of here," Frodo said, feeling like he would faint.

Ronnie approached him, grabbed his hand, and leading him away from the throne room. "We'll be fine. Just as long as no one summons the dead, we'll be fine."

"That's what I'm afraid of—" Frodo's ears perked up at an unfamiliar sound. As soon as he and Ronnie reached the door to the throne room, a low moaning sound came from somewhere in the crowd of dead bodies. He looked back at the throne room at the same time as Ronnie, stunned and horrified by what he saw.

A dead arm rose, followed by other arms creaking and cracking as they were joined by other limbs, chests, heads, and other body parts. Frodo screamed as one dead hand grabbed his ankle. He pulled away, with help from Ronnie, who backed him up against a wall in the hallway. Frodo and Ronnie stared by the scene, petrified by what they saw. The zombies were awake and staring them down. They weren't moving, only staring hungrily at them.

Frodo didn't know what to do. The dead… rose. There was Mistress Halide, a woman with silvery-white hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a tattered dark brown dress with a white apron attached, stained with dried and wet red blood. She looked at him in a hungry way. She let out a deathly scream, as did the other zombies, all cackling, all wanting something to eat. Something alive. Frodo couldn't stand this. He gulped, unsure what to do. Should he run? He didn't know. He was frozen, unable to move. Hot sweat beaded down his forehead, neck, and chest. He didn't know if he could take all these zombies.

"Come on," Ronnie said, getting his attention, "Frodo, we have to go. We have to find Parker Dooley."

Frodo nodded, following Ronnie at a run down the hallway. Frodo looked back at the throne room, in time to see the zombies move quickly towards him. He tumbled, falling to the floor in due time. He looked around, meeting Mistress Halide's gaze. Her eyes screamed red with fury, while she screamed at him, leaving him horror-stricken and afraid.

"Come on!" Ronnie cried, getting Frodo on his feet. They kept running, searching for Parker Dooley, in hopes of getting out of the castle in one piece. But where was Parker when they needed him? Where could they go from here?

.

Parker looked around the second floor, searching for his beloved Eliza. She must be here! Surely, she wouldn't leave him, not when they were so close to finding a way to stop this curse?

Oh, why did he become so angry? Well, his beloved home was now filled with dead bodies, the walls red with blood, and his best friend, Frodo Baggins, had returned to his life. Maranguan was back and made him feel worse just knowing he was back… so yeah, Parker had a reason to be angry, especially with Maleficent's curse coming.

He opened a door, checking his and Eliza's bedroom. Eliza wasn't in there. Where—Where did she go?

"Eliza, you in here?" Parker called, checking to make sure she wasn't hiding. No. She was gone. And Frodo and Ronnie… had he forgotten them? Oh dear!

_Go check on them. They need you!_ Maranguan said, in Parker's mind, encouraging him to look for his friends.

"I know," Parker said, hissing. "Damn it. Where are they?"

"Parker!" Frodo rushed towards the light red dragonoid, grabbing his arms. "I'm glad I found you. Zombies… are everywhere. We barely escaped." He looked around, right as Ronnie showed up behind him.

Frodo remembered learning about zombies from teaching his history class, only at the time when he believed them to be a myth. That was his old life. In the life he remembered, he and Parker had an encounter with zombies before this time.

.

Back in the Second Age, in the Land of Hobbits and Dwarves, Frodo was busy teaching ten-year-old Andalas how to fish. Andalas resembled Frodo and Parker in Parker's human/hobbit form, even when Andalas was a hobbit lad. Frodo looked up, upon seeing Parker arrive on his speeder bike, before the Dwarf Mines. It was clear from Parker's expression that something was up.

"Frodo, I found a cave. It's near the Dwarf Mines. We should be back in time for lunch," Parker said, intriguing him.

Frodo looked at Andalas, saying, "Stay with your foster parents. I'll be back."

"You will?" Andalas asked, as his foster parents approached.

Frodo nodded, "I will. Don't worry. You'll be safe."

"Okay," Andalas said, as his foster father patted him on the shoulder.

"Right," Frodo said, mounting Parker's speeder bike, sitting just behind the light red dragonoid.

"Hang on. This could get rough," Parker said, driving his speeder bike away from the Dwarf Mines. It took a few hours before he and Frodo reached the yawning cave. The cave looked uninhabited. As far as Parker knew, anything could lurk inside this cave.

He dismounted from the bike, at the same time as Frodo, who stumbled on his way towards the cave. At last, he and Parker stopped in front of the cave's entrance, surprised to see a winding tunnel leading into a wide chasm, filled with brown stalactites and stalagmites. The water was green, slimy, and ran in parallel lines inside the cave. Frodo gulped, unsure what to say.

"Come on. We'd better explore, while we can. I've heard there's a zipline that connects this tunnel to the rest of the chasm," Parker said, making his way inside.

"Don't wait up," Frodo said, following Parker inside the cave. Upon reaching the chasm, Frodo saw a long rope, with two wooden handlebars, near a ledge on the other side of the cave. He sighed, wondering what the zipline was used for. "So, this is a zipline."

"That's right," Parker stated. "It's been a long time since I saw one used. I didn't expect to find one here. I wonder what's its use is."

"Just hope we don't run into anything dangerous," Frodo said, worriedly.

Parker laughed. "Oh please! What could possibly be lurking in here?" He shook his head, wondering when he would ever get enough of this place.

A low groan sent shivers up Parker's spine. They weren't alone. Something was moving towards them. More than one, for there was a whole crowd of people with glazed eyes and covered in blood. Parker jumped in shock. They were zombies! They had to be! What else could they be?

"Frodo, we need to move!" Parker cried, grabbing Frodo's collar for a second, as the light red dragonoid made his way towards the stairs, heading to the ledge, where the zipline was.

"What?" Frodo asked, shocked to see the zombies. He heard of wights in this land, zombies they were called here, but he didn't expect to see them until now. It made his blood run cold. He had to escape! He had to! But how? "Parker! Oh Parker, where are you?" He looked around, searching for the light red dragonoid.

"I'm here! This way!" Parker cried from the ledge, getting the poor hobbit's attention.

Frodo looked up, right as a zombie reached him. Frodo let out a piercing scream, darting past the zombies and heading towards the stairs. He wasted no time climbing up the stairs, before the zombies got to him. By the time he reached the ledge, Parker changed form. He became a human/hobbit, resembling Frodo in every way, except for personality.

"You look good," Frodo said, answering the human/hobbit's question.

"Yes," Parker's thoughts were interrupted by a zombie's groan. He looked at Frodo, telling him, hastily, "We have no time! Grab on!" Parker grabbed one of the zipline's wooden handlebars and passed it to Frodo. "Frodo, when I say go, you jump. Ready?"

Frodo got a good grip of the handlebar, holding on. He nodded, ready to jump. "I'm ready."

"Go!" Parker shouted, right as Frodo winced.

Frodo leapt down from the ledge, holding onto the handlebar as he swung low, heading towards the zombies. Frodo move his legs up towards his chest, keeping the zombies off him as he neared the cave tunnel. One zombie attempted to grab his ankle, making Frodo jump, nearly losing his grip on the handlebar. At last! Frodo made it to the end, his feet dangling a few inches from the ground.

Frodo released his grip on the handlebar, jumping down long enough to check how bruised his fingers were. They were fine. Just sore. He sucked his fingers, in an attempt to ease the pain, as he heard moans coming from the zombies.

Frodo looked back, stunned to see the zombies weren't following him, but were staring him down, hungrily at him. Frodo chuckled, petrified that he wouldn't be safe from the zombies, if they reached out to grab him. Frodo looked up, right as Parker slid down the zipline, holding onto the second wooden handlebar and careening towards the gentle-hobbit. Frodo jumped when Parker reached him, watching him as he neared the end of the zipline and jumped down, on wobbly feet, towards the dark brown, dirt ground.

Parker transformed back into a light red dragonoid as he leapt down from the handlebar, his mind dizzy from the experience. "Whoo! Yeah!" He looked at Frodo, saying, "Let's not do that again!"

Frodo nodded. "Agreed. Let's leave." He stared at zombies, who moaned at him to stay put, so they could grab him. He had enough. It was time to move on.

As he and Parker climbed out of the cave, back to civilization and to the sunlight, Frodo said, "Frankly, those wights were scary. I hope we don't have to see those creatures again."

He was sorely mistaken, for the Third Age would present its own problems for him, Parker, and Frodo's ancestor, Ronnie Baggins.

.

Frodo's mind returned to the present, as a low groaning sound pierced his ears. He wasn't the only one who heard it. Parker's long, furry, red ears picked up on the sound. They and Ronnie stared at the hallway. Something was coming.

"They're close," Parker said, gruffly, not liking this. He turned to Frodo and Ronnie, telling them, "Get inside. I'll barricade the door with a shield. It should keep the zombies out for a while."

"And if it doesn't work?" Ronnie asked, alarmed.

"We run," Parker said, gesturing for them to head inside his and Eliza's bedroom. Frodo nodded, pulling Ronnie inside the bedroom, while Parker made his way inside. Parker closed the doors, locking them in an instant. He waved his hands at the door. A blue light rippled across the door, forming a shield, keeping the zombies from entering the room. It wasn't the best plan, but it was worth it.

"How did the zombies get here? Do you know?" Parker asked Frodo and Ronnie, facing them with worried eyes. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"We know," Ronnie said, trying to calm him.

"I mean, zombies in my castle," Parker huffed, taking a seat on the bed stool, while he tried to relax. It wasn't working. His mind had a surge of questions to ask, with no real answers.

Frodo gulped, telling Parker, "We saw Mistress Halide. She's a zombie. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do."

"All right, who's responsible for this? There has to be a reason," Parker said, getting up and pacing the room. The doors banged. Parker jumped at the sound, thinking that the zombies were by the door. Bright light emitted from the door, sending the zombies hurtling on the other side. He didn't know what else to do. There wasn't much time to spare.

"We have to do something! We—of course," Parker turned his gaze to an oval-shaped mirror. It showed a woman with her hair in a bun. She was dressed in a black dress, informing the zombies to move towards the Dragonoid Castle. She had their hearts. Parker wanted to break the mirror and attack her, only as he smacked the glass, the image went away. He knew that woman from the stories. "Cora. She lives in the Enchanted Forest, in another dimension. The Queen of Hearts is responsible."

"The Queen of Hearts?" Frodo asked, hearing about her.

"She's from the stories. 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass'. There's two Queen of Hearts, and this one doesn't come from this dimension," Parker said, worriedly.

"What can we do?" Ronnie asked. "If she comes from an alternate dimension, then that would spell doom for us."

Parker shook his head, saying, "No, we need to leave. This mirror may give us the answers we need." He faced the mirror, asking, "Show me Eliza Bowler-Dooley and Elijah Molvaro." The mirror's image changed, revealing Eliza and Elijah in Parker and Eliza's bedroom. They were by the same mirror that Parker and his descendants were at. Eliza and Elijah looked back, warningly. They knew it was hard, but they had to go. Elijah coaxed Parker's wife to go.

"They'll find us at Blackburg Castle. Trust me," Elijah told Eliza in the mirror's image, referring to Parker, Maranguan, Ronnie, and Frodo.

"I know. I hope Parker finds us soon," Eliza said, in her brunette-haired, green-eyed, pale-skinned human form. She was dressed in a dark blue royal dress and looked elegant. She looked back, as Elijah made his way through the mirror first. He extended his hand out to her, hoping she would take it. Eliza sighed, taking one final look at the room, before taking Elijah's hand and stepping through the mirror.

The mirror's image faded, leaving Parker's reflection in the mirror's glass. Parker slammed his fist into the mirror, nearly breaking it as he thought back to how he wanted the mirror repaired. To his relief, the mirror repaired itself, leaving him wondering why he asked such a thing.

He sighed, watching the mirror show him Blackburg Castle, with its black stone walls and open foyer. He nodded, looking at Frodo and Ronnie as he said, "Then that's where we'll go. Blackburg Castle, here we come."

_Bang!_ Parker jumped back at the same time as Frodo and Ronnie. The zombies wanted to come through. They had no more time. Parker looked at Frodo and Ronnie, telling them, "You go first. I'll follow."

"Right," Ronnie said, making his way through the mirror first.

Frodo looked at Parker, telling him, "Hurry. Okay?"

Parker nodded. "I will. Go. Go!"

Frodo nodded, making his way through the mirror's portal. Parker took one final look at his and Eliza's bedroom, sad to see it go. He would miss it. He would miss Dragonoid Castle and the Dragonoid Realm. Still, it was time to leave. He took one last look at the doors, as they opened, before heading through the mirror's portal, vanishing from the realm and the castle, as Cora made her way through the doorway, with her zombies staying in the hallway for safe keeping.

By the time she was in the room, the mirror's portal vanished, leaving it in the same place it was when Parker first looked into the mirror. "Damn," Cora hissed, not enjoying this. She smirked, telling the mirror, "wherever you are, I will find you. Mark my words, I will find you both," she said, referring to Parker Dooley and Frodo Baggins, "Wait and see."

.

Parker didn't know how long he'd been through the mirror's portal. The next thing he knew, he was inside Blackburg Castle, with nowhere else to go but up.

*.*.*

**References:**

Cora is the Queen of Hearts in ABC's television shows, "Once Upon a Time" and "Once Upon a Time in Wonderland".


	6. Return to Blackburg Castle

Sorry about the long hiatus. :( Real life took over and it affected my writing. I'm back and, hopefully, I'll get this fanfic done and posted. I guess I needed a break, after not getting a long break in a while. Here we go! :)

*.*.*

A tear shed down Parker's face. It had been so long since he'd last seen Blackburg Castle. Just being here was hard to describe. He remembered the first time he'd walk through the open foyer. He helped Maranguan build the castle from the ground up. Why Maranguan chose this mountainous region, where it was chilly in the winter time, was beyond Parker.

All Parker knew was that he was back and the Dragonoid Realm was turning into zombie land. This was the last thing Parker wanted. When would he return? He didn't know. Anger boiled up, as well as sadness.

The Dragonoid Realm was his home, and now it was gone. Another home Parker lost, and now he couldn't get back in without being attacked by zombies. Was that bad? Parker didn't know. He hoped that nothing else would go wrong here, at Blackburg Castle.

"Parker," Eliza said, hugging her true love. Eliza was back in her human form, but her eyes looked catlike… or dragonoid-like.

"Eliza, is everyone safe?" Parker asked, concerned about her.

"Everyone's fine, those that got out of the Dragonoid Realm, without becoming zombified," Eliza said, spotting the various dragonoids that had escaped. "Frodo's looking for you."

"Is he?" Parker asked, searching for Frodo.

Frodo rushed towards Parker and Eliza, happy to see them both, "Hullo. Is Bethany here? I owe her my life. I don't know how we survived the amnesia, but I'm glad she saved my life."

"I think your students also helped you out," Eliza said, pointing to Elijah and Ronnie.

Frodo grinned, waving at Elijah and Ronnie. He looked at Eliza and Parker, asking them in turn, "So, Eliza's reincarnated? What happens to us now?"

"Now, we find our way to the Land of Talking Animals. Surely, there's a way to get there," Parker said.

"The Land of Talking Animals is going through a pocket world crisis," Syrena stated. "I don't know how it will end, but we need to get there, and to the Kingdom of Aster. The city is vast. We'll need the support from the Talking Animals. Last I heard, they need a king. Ronnie is the right choice."

"Me? I'm not sure I want to," Ronnie said.

"You will," Aslan said, making his appearance known. The Great Lion made his way down the stairway with Bethany, talking to her, before watching her approach Frodo.

"Hi," Bethany said, taking Frodo's breath away.

"Hi," Frodo said, pleased to see her. He asked, curiously, "Can we talk, alone?"

"Sure," Bethany smiled, nodding.

"All right. Come on. I think I know the place," Frodo said, leading Bethany out of the foyer and down the hallway to a grander indoor foyer.

The indoor foyer had two antechambers, one leading to the outer foyer that Frodo and Bethany were in. The floor was tiled with white and black stone squares. The grand staircase was made out from mahogany and oak wood, with a red rug covering the stairway, leading up to the second floor of the castle. Chandeliers lined the ceiling, decked out in iron and brass. Statues and silver knight's armor lined the walls, as well as paintings showing battles long since passed in the mountainous region, where Maranguan claimed the mountainous region for himself.

It was Maranguan who ran the castle. It was also Maranguan who knew the plan to stop Valkorion, before he gained too much power. Frodo knew Maranguan didn't like Valkorion, and to Parker, the feeling was mutual. Frodo didn't want to get involved in the Parker-Maranguan-Valkorion dispute, since Ronnie was already involved in the dispute, as ancient as it was after the First World was destroyed.

Frodo and Bethany found a nice spot to sit by the indoor foyer's grand staircase to talk about their feelings, as well as what would happen for them and for everyone inside Blackburg Castle.

Frodo clamped his hands together, admitting to his true love, "We need to head back. I know you don't like it. We just woke up, but we need to go home. I'm not talking about Middle-earth, not yet. I'm talking about the Land of Talking Animals." He paused. "They need us and we need them. I hope you understand because it's important that we go back there."

"How do we do it? How do we get there?" Bethany asked, cautiously.

"That's what we need to discuss with the others, about what we're going to do next," Frodo said, also cautious. He looked at the floor, before turning to Bethany. He asked, "Bethany, ever since we met, you've been so helpful, taking care of me. I want to get married. I want to be your husband. It's for the best, given all that's happened around here. I want to be your husband. I feel that we should get married. If you think that we should, then please tell me. Otherwise—"

"I'll do it. Yes, I will marry you," Bethany said with a warm-hearted smile.

Frodo beamed, smiling and kissing her on the lips. "Thank you." He looked down, kissing Bethany's hands, before kissing her on the lips again. "It means so much to me!"

"Well, we did come here for a reason, didn't we?" Bethany asked, smiling back at him.

"Yes, we did," Frodo said, grinning. He stood up, taking her hand, "Come on. We should tell the others."

"Okay," Bethany said, following Frodo back to the outdoor foyer.

.

"You're getting married?" Syrena asked, cautiously.

Frodo took Bethany's hand, as he spoke with the others about arranging a marriage between him and Bethany, his betrothed and fiancée. He didn't want to lose Bethany, given how much of a crisis everyone was in about heading back to the Land of Talking Animals, now seemed like the perfect time to perform a marriage ceremony. Whether their friends agreed or not was up to them.

Parker nodded in agreement. "Eliza and I had trouble with our own marriage. We had to marry, after our quest was over. I say now is the best time to marry you two," he smiled, before facing the others, "Wouldn't you agree?"

Syrena shook her head. "I don't like this, but then, what more can we do?" She shrugged. "We'll marry you two, before something else happens to us." Syrena smiled, as Frodo and Bethany smiled. "I hope your days are filled with great joy. Let's get to it, for your sakes as well as everyone else's."

Frodo looked at Bethany, asking, "Are you ready to be my wife?"

"Are you ready to be my husband?" Bethany asked, smirking.

Frodo chuckled. "I couldn't agree more." He winked, smiling graciously at her. He was the happiest hobbit. That much was clear. He just hoped this marriage turned out all right, before something else happened again.

.

Frodo waited at Blackburg Castle's altar for his new fiancée. Frodo wore a black vest, a white shirt, and brown breeches. He looked at Parker, knowing his fiancée would come. Frodo looked around, watching Bethany walk down the aisle wearing a light blue dress. Bethany smiled, making her way to Frodo and Parker, for it was Parker who was performing the marriage ceremony.

The moment Bethany reached Frodo, they said their vows and lit the candles. With the marriage certificate written out, things were turning out better. By the time the marriage ceremony was over, Frodo led Bethany out of the room, heading straight for their new bed chamber.

Frodo smirked, carrying Bethany inside the room, before closing the door. The second Frodo did this, he approached Bethany, kissing her on the lips. He moved his hands up and down her back. The kisses were so intense that Frodo couldn't stop. He noticed he moved Bethany over to the bed, before climbing on top of her. The rest of the time was just for them. Frodo couldn't stop kissing Bethany, but neither did he want to stop. She was with him, and that was all that mattered.

He just hoped that nothing interrupted their peaceful time together.


	7. Vampires

This is the last chapter for this story. :) :(

*.*.*

Parker observed the maps, nestled on a square wooden table. It had been months since he last saw these papers. Then again, he hoped Maranguan would explain the brown coffee stain on one of the crinkled tan maps, depicting the Land of Talking Animals.

The war room was covered with corkboards, showing the various battle plans that they, Syrena, and their friends had come up with to return to the Land of Talking Animals. Parker looked around for Maranguan, hoping the scarred light red dragonoid would show up and explain what he did, or tell Aslan about it.

He found Maranguan, speaking with Syrena, before looking his way.

"Maranguan, what's this stain?" Parker asked, showing Maranguan the coffee stain.

"Oh, I believe Todd Brotzman may have had some coffee. It should be all right now," Maranguan said.

"Right, well I would like to speak with him," Parker said, right as Todd showed up from the kitchen with a light snack and his coffee cup.

"What?" Todd asked, concerned.

"Well, we found the culprit. Todd, what were you doing? There's a coffee stain on one of the maps," Syrena asked, curiously.

"I was looking at them. Your maps are vast. I didn't know there was so much land. Where's Dirk Gently? I need to speak to him," Todd asked, wanting to go home.

"You'll get home. I promise," Syrena said. "But first, we need to get to the Land of Talking Animals, before you can be sent home. There's a pocket world opening up that should take you right at home. I mean, that's what Frodo's doing."

Parker sniffed the air. He nearly forgot about Frodo and Bethany. He wondered what they were doing, but… wait. Why did it feel like there were vampires around?

"Frodo, Bethany," Parker sighed, desperate to save his friends. He ran out of the war room, telling the others, "I'll be right back! I'm going to check and see if they're okay!" He disappeared down the hallway before another word was spoken. He hardly caught Syrena's words. His only concern was checking up on his friends, making sure they were okay.

With vampires, who knew what became of Frodo and Bethany. Parker hoped they weren't bitten. If they did, then they were in trouble.

.

Frodo kissed Bethany on the neck. Her throat looked so tantalizing. Why did he feel like he wasn't alone? Like they weren't alone? He looked back, shocked to see two vampires in their bed chamber.

Frodo looked at the two vampires, asking them, "Who are you?"

"You won't feel a thing," the male vampire said.

"What?" Frodo asked too soon, for the male vampire grabbed him, pulling him away from his bride, as the female vampire bit Bethany. "NO!" Frodo screamed, right as the male vampire pinned Frodo up against a beam. "Wait, I…" Frodo let out another scream as the male vampire bit the side of his neck. The pain was too much for him, causing Frodo to fall silent.

In seconds, Frodo was reunited with Bethany on their bed. The venom inside them was excruciating. Frodo never thought he'd experience this kind of pain before. If it weren't for Aslan in the room, Frodo thought he would have turned totally vampiric. Frodo looked back at Aslan as the two vampires escaped. He watched Aslan approach him and Bethany, blowing on them both. Frodo looked at his wife, seeing she was in pain, too.

"It won't last. I promise," Aslan said, causing Frodo to fall into a deep sleep.

.

Frodo opened his eyes. He could sleep as a vampire. "What the—" He looked around, spotting his beautiful wife asleep on their bed. He smiled at her, determined to drink her blood. Still, he wanted to wait to see what she would do. "Thank you, Aslan, for…" he looked back, seeing the Great Lion look at him with a warm smile.

"Don't mention it," Aslan said, grinning. "What will you do now? You're a vampire, but I fear you won't always be. Still, if you ever want to change back, let me know. I trust this won't be a problem. Someday, vampires will come back to the Timeless Halls. For now, make do with what you can, but you can eat human food, too, while you both are vampires."

"Thank you, Aslan. I can drink my wife's blood? Is that allowed?" Frodo asked, wanting to drink his wife's blood.

"You are vampires. What do you expect?" Aslan said, "I'll leave you two alone. I will always be here, whenever you need me."

"Thank you," Frodo said, facing his wife. He touched her face, stroking it with his hand. She was so beautiful. He couldn't get enough of her.

"Water. I need water," Bethany said, waking up a little, smiling at her husband. "Frodo, we need water."

"Right away," Frodo said, zooming into the bathroom to get his wife a drink of water. He tried the water, finding it healed him and gave him strength. "This is new. What?" He couldn't believe it! Or maybe he could. Still, he returned to his wife with two cups of water: one for her and one for him. To his surprise, the water helped his veins and his arteries. Even the pinkish skin returned to both their faces. "You look better. Your blood looks so tasty right now."

Bethany giggled. "Do you think so?"

Frodo nodded, sniffing her. "When's the last time we took a bath?" He winked at her. "Come on. Let's take a shower."

"Right," Bethany said, following Frodo into the bathroom.

.

Frodo and Bethany had a dual shower. As they played with each other and the water, they eventually got out of the bathroom and got dressed. Frodo dressed Bethany in a silky red dress, while he wore a white dress shirt, velvet breeches, a velvet jacket, and a velvet waistcoat. Frodo admired his wife; glad they were married.

"You look beautiful, my sweet wife," Frodo kissed her neck, diving in for a drink of her blood. Her blood satisfied him, but more so when she bit him on the neck. He wanted her more than ever, enough that he kissed his wife intensely on the lips. He checked her wounds, kissing them and watching her wounds heal. "Kiss my wounds, please?" he whimpered, happy when she did the same, finding his wounds healed, too. He smirked, admitting freely, "We can bite each other and heal each other. This is incredible!"

Frodo smirked, kissing his wife again on the lips. He sniffed his wife, enduring her scent with amusement. "You smell beautiful." He dived for her neck again, kissing and biting it. He drank some more of her blood, glad to be satisfied. They needed something to eat though. Some human food would do. "Let's find Parker. I'm sure he'll get some food for us."

Frodo looked back at the doors to his and Bethany's bed chamber. There was Parker, opening the doors to greet them. Parker looked at them in horror. He knew.

"What happened?" Parker asked them, worried. "No! I'm too late!"

"Parker!" Frodo screamed, grabbing Parker's face. Frodo's eyes went wild and frightened at the same time, but brave. Frodo chuckled, releasing his friend. "Don't panic. Bethany and I are vampires now. Surely, we won't attack you." He winked, glad to see his friend again.

"Um…" Parker didn't know what to say, only that he hoped Frodo and Bethany wouldn't kill him or suck his blood. He was a dragonoid. Did dragonoids have thick skin? He hoped so. The way Frodo and Bethany looked at him hungrily, made him nervous. They were his best friends! Surely, they wouldn't attack him. "Frodo, stop! We need to talk."

Frodo shrugged. "So talk. It'll only make Bethany and me hungrier for your blood."

"Mmm. Dragonoid blood. How does that sound?" Bethany asked, feeling vampiric already.

Frodo chuckled. "Ah! My darling wife, hungry for Parker's blood. Now, we must be cautious. Dragonoid blood sounds tantalizing, but does it help with the shapeshifting abilities? Let's find out." He snaked his way over to Parker, desperate for his blood.

Parker raised a hand, hoping it would stop Frodo from biting him. "You won't kill me, will you? Either of you? I'm your best friend and your ancestor, remember? You wouldn't kill me, would you?"

"Kill you? Now, why would we do that?" Bethany asked, cautiously.

Frodo laughed. "Parker, you are our friend. We only want a little blood."

"Besides, we can heal your wounds. It won't take much and we won't kill you, will we?" Bethany asked, curiously.

Frodo licked his lips, desperate for his friend's blood. "Mmm. No, we won't. Why would we want to kill our friends? We could either turn you into a vampire, Parker, or we could not. But we can heal wounds, if we want. We won't kill you. It'd be a waste to kill a dragonoid, let alone our friend."

"Uh… is this safe? What kind of vampires are you?" Parker asked, alarmed and confused.

Frodo shrugged. "Uh… let's find out." He dived in for Parker's neck, sucking his blood with adrenaline in his heart. Frodo wasn't used to this. His ancestor's blood tasted so pure, so tantalizing. He wanted more, but got filled up soon enough. He stopped and licked the wound, surprised it healed. He chuckled, glad to have a taste of Parker's blood.

Frodo watched Parker fall to the floor, mesmerized by what he just saw. Frodo laughed, glad to have his blood. He smiled as his wife got her fill of Parker's blood, too, before she kissed both wounds to heal them. Frodo watched Parker again, being quick to give him some fresh water.

"Here. You need your strength," Frodo said, watching Parker drink the fresh water.

"Thank you," Parker said, shaky.

Frodo tilted his head, asking him, "You're not a vampire yet, are you? After all, I was the one who gave you the venom."

"I feel the venom. I don't know how long it will last," Parker said, sniffing the air. "I guess I'll add vampire to my list of abilities."

"You can have more than one ability?" Bethany asked, confused. "I don't get this family. Your shapeshifters, but you can transform into vampires, too."

Parker shrugged. "I don't know. I'll try to shapeshift." He closed his eyes, morphing into his hobbit form, looking similar to Frodo's hobbit form. Parker smirked when Bethany gasped, causing Frodo to laugh. "I guess it works. Now, I can be a vampire and a shapeshifter."

"Neat!" Frodo said, pleased with this attempt.

"You try it," Parker suggested to Frodo. "See if you can shapeshift."

"Okay. Here goes," Frodo said, closing his eyes and imagining the form he wanted to take. In seconds, his curly, dark brown hair had a pony tail and he was dressed in black robes. He opened his eyes, surprised he chose a dark lord form. He smiled, admitting to Parker, "I can't believe I just did that. I'm a dark lord now."

"Yeah. Your mind's gone a bit dark, since you turned into a vampire. That can be helped," Parker said, worried about him. "Maybe, we'll need to send you to a healer's house, should you need it. I'm guessing you will."

"A healer's house? What for?" Frodo said, transforming back into his old self.

"Just in case things get out of hand," Parker said, cautious.

"Will I have to go, too?" Bethany asked, concerned.

"In time, you will," Parker suggested, "as will I. You'll see, you'll know, and you'll understand what this'll mean for all of us. It's important to our quest and our future that we go there. Surely, you both understand how much this means to everyone if you decide to go there, to the healer's house."

"Do you ever think we'll be our old selves again, Parker?" Frodo asked.

Parker sighed, knowing their future would be rough. "I don't know. But I do know one thing: we won't be alone."

Frodo sighed, knowing this was right. "Good." And he meant it.

*.*.*

That's it for my fanfic, _Memories_, part of my Origin Series and my Long Series. :) I'd like to thank the following people for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following this fanfic till the end: CLBONE13 and IanAlphaAxel. And thank you, everyone, for reading this fanfic until the end. It is much appreciated. :)

This fanfic took four to five months to complete, partly because I broke my right shoulder. It's taken me this long to get back into writing fanfics. I won't say how I broke my right shoulder, just that it's been a long recovery.

Anyway, I'm back and this story is now complete. Next fanfic, and the final in this mini-trilogy, but not the end for my Origin Series and my Long Series, we're heading back to the Kingdom of Aster, which is about to get its new name, the First Base.

Until then, thanks for reading. :) I'll see everyone in the next fanfic. :) Bye! :)

~Aria Breuer


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